Waldrop v. Scott

143 So. 2d 106, 1962 La. App. LEXIS 2125
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 29, 1962
DocketNo. 5561
StatusPublished

This text of 143 So. 2d 106 (Waldrop v. Scott) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Waldrop v. Scott, 143 So. 2d 106, 1962 La. App. LEXIS 2125 (La. Ct. App. 1962).

Opinion

ELLIS, Judge.

This suit is the result of an intersectional collision which occurred on July 20, 1960 at approximately 10 A.M. on a clear day at the intersection of Evangeline Street and East Brookstown Drive in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, between an automobile being driven in an easterly direction on Evangeline Street by Mrs. Barbara Woods and in which the plaintiff, Mrs. Willie O. Waldrop, was a guest passenger in the front seat, and a Mercury Sedan being driven in a northerly direction on East Brookstown Drive by Mrs. Shirley Patterson Scott.

Mrs. Willie O. Waldrop filed suit for damages for personal injuries suffered as a guest passenger and her husband, J. E. Waldrop, sued for doctors’ charges, drugs, hospital and future medical and drug expenses, in the total sum of $1537.27.

The defendants in this suit are Mrs. Barbara Pittman Woods and her husband, Ronald G. Woods, and their insurer, Allstate Insurance Company, and Shirley Patterson Scott and her husband, Leo Scott, and their insurer, Grain Dealers Mutual Insurance Company. The defendants’ answer is a general denial of negligence on the part of the operators of the cars and a plea of contributory negligence as a bar to recovery by the plaintiff-guest-passenger.

The case was duly tried and the lower court rendered judgment in solido against all defendants in favor of the plaintiff, J. E. Waldrop, in the full sum of $783.61 together with interest at the rate of 5% per annum from date of judicial demand until paid, and in favor of the plaintiff, Mrs. Willie O. Waldrop, in the full sum of $2500.00, with interest at the rate of 5% per annum from date of judicial demand until paid, all costs, including expert witness fees for Dr. Daniel J. Fourrier in the amount of $75.00 and Dr. Chas. B. Cracraft in the amount of $50.00.

From this judgment the plaintiffs have appealed, asking for an increase in quantum. Allstate Insurance Company and its insureds also appealed asking that the judgment against those defendants be reversed. Grain Dealers Mutual Insurance Company and its insureds, Leo and Shirley Patterson Scott, have answered the appeal asking that the judgment be reversed as to them, and, alternatively, that the quantum be decreased.

It is shown by the record that Evangeline is a favored street and that traffic proceeding on East Brookstown Drive is required by a yield sign to honor traffic on the former street, and on the day in question Mrs. Barbara Woods was traveling in an easterly direction on Evangeline at a speed fixed by the testimony at from 25 to 35 miles per hour (speed limit 30 miles per hour) and as she approached the intersection of the two streets she saw the Scott car being driven at approximately thirty miles per hour in a northerly direction, prior to the time that it reached the yield sign. Assuming that it would honor her right of way and obey the law by yielding, she proceeded toward the intersection and just as she entered the inter-, section the plaintiff-guest-passenger and Mrs. Woods evidently saw the Scott automobile about the same time, and at that moment the plaintiff-guest-passenger testified that she screamed a warning. Mrs. Woods testified that when she saw the automobile just as she entered the intersection there was nothing that she could do to prevent the accident. The testimony establishes the point of impact between the vehicles as being four feet north of the south curb of Evangeline Street, eight feet west of--the' [108]*108east curb of East Brookstown Drive, eighteen feet south of the north curb of Evangeline, fourteen feet east of the west curb of East Brookstown Drive. The width of each of these two streets was approximately twenty-two feet.

Shirley Scott testified that she was driving approximately 25 miles an hour and that when she reached the intersection she had slowed down for the yield sign and was driving about ten or fifteen miles per hour. She was asked:

“Q. When you entered the intersection of Evangeline and Brookstown what happened?

“A. I pulled up to the yield sign, I mean, I saw the car coming, but I thought I had enough time to cross the street.”

It is also shown that there was a building on the southwest corner of the intersection which interfered somewhat with a view of the driver on Evangeline Street as well as the driver on East Brookstown Drive, however, we do not believe that this plays any material part in a decision in this case.

Without detailing the testimony in considering the negligence vel non of Shirley Scott, we are in agreement with the findings of the trial court in this respect as we believe the testimony convicts her of gross negligence in proceeding into the intersection in the face of an absolute collision, which she should have realized was inevitable. Had she yielded the right of way in accordance with the sign and the law there would have been no collision.

Counsel for plaintiffs in their brief charge Mrs. Barbara Pittman Woods with negligence contributing to the accident which consisted primarily, but not exclusively, of the following:

(a) She admitted she saw the other car but thought it would stop.

(b) She admitted she didn’t blow her horn.

(c) She admitted she didn’t put on her brakes.

(d) She admitted she didn’t attempt to avoid the collision by swerving or turning.

(e) She admitted she was driving 25-30 m. p. h. which was too fast for a blind corner.

(f) She admitted she didn’t react to the warning of her guest passenger.

(g) The extensive damage indicated considerable speed.

(h) She was driving too fast under the circumstances.

(i) She didn’t have her car under proper control.

(j) She had the last clear chance to avoid the collision.

We will take up the charges as set forth above.

(a) It is true that Mrs. Barbara Pittman Woods admitted that she saw the other car but assumed or thought that it would stop for the yield sign. Under the law Mrs. Woods had the legal right to assume that the Scott driver would obey the law and yield the right of way. She was under a legal duty to take action only when she could or should have realized that the Scott automobile was going to disobey the law and proceed into the intersection.

(b) It is also true that Mrs. Woods admitted she did not blow her horn. She was under no legal duty to blow her horn or warn the Scott driver until she realized or should have realized that the Scott vehicle was going to proceed into the intersection against the yield sign and the law, and according to the record this was not apparent until the Woods vehicle started to enter the intersection and at this time it was only 14 feet distant from the point of impact, while the Scott motor vehicle was only 4 feet from the same point. An inescapable emergency had been created by the failure of the driver of the Scott au[109]*109tomobile in yielding the right of way, and blowing her horn or (c), applying her brakes would have been futile and completely ineffectual as a means of avoiding the impending collision.

(d) While we do not believe that Mrs. Woods could have avoided the collision by swerving or turning, she was placed in an emergency created completely by the driver of the Scott automobile and she had only 14 feet in which to react and avoid the collision. There is no showing, either, that swerving would have avoided the collision.

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Bluebook (online)
143 So. 2d 106, 1962 La. App. LEXIS 2125, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/waldrop-v-scott-lactapp-1962.